Highway 89 near Emerald Bay expected to reopen late Tuesday

A section of Highway 89 that has been closed for two weeks due to heavy snow is expected to open by late Tuesday, according the the California Department of Transportation.

A 4-mile stretch of the highway on either side of Emerald Bay was closed after some sections were buried in up to 30 feet of snow.

Caltrans crews had to wait for an extended period of dry weather to safely clear the area of snow and debris. Caltrans reported over the weekend that efforts to clear the highway had been complicated by downed snow blowers.

During the closure, motorists traveling between the south shore of Lake Tahoe and the north or west shore have had to use Highway 50 and Highway 28.